#his coachella vibe is different

[shes-unwell-babe]

slayed.

📸: via @lewishamilton on Instagram

[sageistrii]

https://www.tumblr.com/sageistrii/749080074375086080/i-am-not-gonna-lie-i-find-it-a-tad-bit-funny-that?source=share

But do you think that because of jk's songs like seven, snty and 3D which were like gp friendly jk's popularity in sk might have increased? See i know that the sk industry or gp does challenges that fit the tiktok kinda vibes and even jisoo's flower was done by many many ppl (it actually reached my country too where i didn't just see the kpop fans doing the trend but even some celebs who never does anything related kpop doing the challenge or using the song) and jk's all these three songs were are actually pretty popular in sk. alot of idols has mentioned him as their fav/role model and even has recommended other songs from his album too. isn't it like being popular and having strong fb a different case? So do you think jk is more popular?? I'm just talking about it based on how much ppl i have seen doing his challenge/mention his songs/mention him as their fav etc. If there's other criteria through which this get's calculated then I'm not well aware. I actually saw someone asking this question so i was wondering too.

Seven did well in SK because it did well all over the world. 3d and snty not so much, like crazy did better than both those songs in all major aspects. If a song's acclaim and chart placement lies on how many people joined it's challenges, then I luv it by Kamila cabello would be number 1 on the hot 100 right now. Some people just join these challenges for fun, doesn't mean they're listening to the song. Like we can all see the chart placements of both songs

Also this man has been everywhere since 2022, Hybe made sure of that and you're surprised he's being name dropped by every kpop idol. That's literally how idols move, they name drop songs or artists that are trending at that particular moment. If this year some other soloist that isn't jk gets the same coverage and success that jk got in 2023, they're going to ignore him and talk about that person. You think none of those idols listen to other BTS members especially jimin? Or have y'all deluded yourself into thinking jk's album was the only one these idols listened to and liked? I guarantee you that they're also tons of idols who listen to rapline and love their music.

But they're going to mention the one member that was being shoved down their throat because that's how they also get publicity for themselves. And it's one reason why unlike some pjms I will never hype these random name droppings from idols because I know how it goes. Next year they're going to focus on the next trending idol or group and not even acknowledge your fave. It's like how idols jump on TikTok trends, it's not because they like the song or the singer, it's for visibility.

Let me use le sserafim as an example (no shade to them), during their promotions last year they danced to flowers by Miley because it was popular when they probably don't even listen to it but what they got in return was publicity because Miley posted them on her Instagram. They mentioned Taylor repeatedly during the time when her name was all over the media for the release of her re-recordings, they've name-dropped Beyonce in a song they teased in Coachella which makes sense because she's been the most talked about person on social media this year and has one of the most popular songs of the year so far, now they've also been linked to Sabrina carpenter in Light of her new found chart success. That's how the industry works. Name dropping or joining challenges doesn't necessarily mean they're listening because those idols could drop their 2023 Spotify wrapped, and you probably wouldn't find any Jungkook song.

Jimin has spent a long time at the top of Spotify Korea and like crazy got almost 200k unique listeners on melon, just a 100k+ below seven, you think none of those listens came from idols? But why would they name drop him after all the shit that happened with his debut and also when bang and scooter made sure all jk's achievements stifled his?

[writingmochi]

an honest review of golden hour part 1 purely from musical observation (not proofread because i'll post the proofread on rym)

opening remarks: i'm gonna be honest here: i didn't keep up much with the early promotional aspect such as teasers, etc cause i was overwhelmed with ateez. not that i don't like them, but more in worry, like, what do you mean they have this plan before coachella and are going on tour after this promotional cycle ends? that level of constant promotional cycle is the thing that makes me sick of kpop nowadays: no rest time. and that is much more prevalent now with 4th gen groups now is ever so closely closer to the end of their contracts.

also, the fact that this comeback is the one that succeeded the world era with its fantastical science fiction concept that is very heavy makes this more like a whiplash. it seems rushed in a way? especially in regards to concept photos cause i know ateez has songs in their vault. but the art direction here is so much different than the transition between fever to the world. it seems like their trying to chase the coachella train by releasing an ep after it, to get the momentum of the people who are interested in them. maybe it's gonna be a one-off like the halazia ep but let's learn from the musical aspect cause i think they've spoiled that at the end of crazy form.

let's get to it!

1.golden hour: maddox comes back to narrate such an enchanting intro. in a way, this narration kind of portray the ateez journey from their start until now. how they basically started as an unknown group from (what i consider) an independent kpop label with only the support of block b at that time, to now where they are performing the biggest stages in the world. maybe we are experiencing ateez's golden hour, or golden month, or golden year. but definitely, it is a golden era of ateez as they share it with the world

2.blind: not me thinking of enhypen's blind because i always hear it when watching en-o'clock lmao i'll continue

nahh this is different then what i was expecting. i think it's the same type of beat i usually hear in western latin pop, maybe it is more latin pop, especially with that refrain after the chorus. this also reminds me of world cup songs like think the 2010 and 2014 one. it is also being supported by the amount of spanish used in this song. ateez has been embracing the spanish language a lot recently, like with arriba in their last album and their performance where they drink a shot on the coachella stage. i think it is because they know that they have many latin/iberian fans that they decide to embrace it with their songs.

i didn't expect their voices to match this style of genre, especially jongho cause he is so distinct. san's timbre voice sounds so good alongside yunho and seonghwa, especially since they try to use their lower range. mingi sounds like he is having fun here like i have a grin growing when i hear his rap. the party outro though. i think they have been embracing this a lot since it used to be such a yg style, but ateez embraced it and made it their own. i just know that this'll be a club banger with that percussion and bass.

3.work: it's so ironic knowing what i felt about them being OVERWORKED and then them making a song about making money by working D: D: D:

okay, ngl, i'm glad that i've been listening to a lot of hip-hop recently, especially west coast hip-hop like kendrick lamar (because of beef gate 2024 tho fuck drake), so, i get what they're trying. this has such a heavy west coast hip-hop vibe like think dj mustard beats. it's definitely another club banger cause the beat is catchy. i haven't watched their performance but i can already imagine the amount of street-style dance on it (if it's not that, then that is such a shame). that outro has the same latin pop influence of the blind. it's catchy, it's bouncy (cheonyang gochu vibe), and it's funny in a way that it makes we want to have fun (like the rolling rrrrrrr adlib).

hongjoong is such a highlight here. like he's definitely having fun in his rap part. also yeosang being the transition between the pre-chorus with his harmonizing? chef's kiss. gosh, do you know those lowrider car shows? this song could be a background for that. also, i like the contrast in the bridge with the plucked bass. and i think this is like the most complete under 3-minute song i've heard in a while. intro? two choruses? a bridge? and an outro? all check. as much as i prefer songs over 3-minutes, this is how you make a song under 3-minute to sound complete @ kpop composers

4.empty box: wow i think this is the first time i hear a bedroom type of beat coming from ateez, that is usually very bombastic or dramatic.

the subdued guitar riff reminds me of those indie lo-fi pop songs, but the trap beat under it creates a contrast. the boys sing with more subdued voice as well before i'm being startled by hongjoong's jump in voice volume. the difference at the outro of the song makes it end in a hopeful way with the choir type of singing there, creating this image that that's okay to have an empty box aka leaving your memories behind? (based on the lyrics) because you can fill it in the future too. such a hopeful rare, low-beat type of song from ateez

5.shaboom: i just know this one is bombastically skadoosh (wtf does that even mean lol)

wait, this is reggae. ateez is doing reggae. but, what the fuck is that plot twist? why is the chorus in edm? i love the "shaboom" san is doing in the chorus ("shabooooooom~"). but like the whiplash is real. from the reggae sound in the verses to the edm sound in the rest. i also just realized that they modulate the keys between the verse and chorus cause the vibe is very different, like a freaking day and night. this is such a whiplash concept but i guess this like a floridian type of sound lol while blind is more californian (hey, i'm not sorry for stereotyping ateez song into us state because, like, i can imagine people in miami hype up to this)

also the last chorus will eq take out and the outro that sounds so out of the beat we have heard but then it ends so abruptly before i even adapted to the sound. it's fun but i'm confused? help

6.siren: what in the haunted house song is this? the dissonance intro with the strings makes it so creepy

but then it resolves into a more breakbeat in a way with that addictive percussion melody at the back right there. the synth gets louder like a blaring siren in the chorus as the percussion melody pierces the blaring silent like a light in the dark haunted house. the drum breakbeat during mingi's part is clean and i also enjoy how we started the chorus in such a lower timbre before the higher timbre kicks in, like a siren. the pre-chorus sounds haunting alongside the intro, reminding you that even if you're bopping to the song, it still is creepy. the bridge gets rid of the synth that we now realize is actually our anchor to the song before bringing back in the last post-chorus. the bridge also doubles down with the creepiness factor by making them sing so dissonantly. though the outro part is good, i still think that it is pretty abrupt. maybe adding another 4 bar will make it more complete.

closing remarks: i can now finally imagine of the concept of the album based on the music alone: golden hour part 1 wants this to be ateez's introduction to their new era like the coming of summer. hence, the reason why all of the songs have the same overall concept: summer. blind comes in with a more latin pop approach while work is more West Coast hip hop. empty box is more bedroom pop to shaboom aka the reggae-edm hybrid and siren, the summer night festival vibe there. in a way, it is also portraying what ateez has experienced in the us so far with coachella. it creates a pretty broad amount of genre that can encompass summer, but it is also the reason why the album is not cohesive, especially with the inclusion of an empty box which imo is in the wrong place on the tracklist because of the contrast between golden hour and blind is also too jarring. if they can create a much better track sequencing, i think it can make the listening experience better.

my suggested tracklist sequence without getting rid of a track:

golden hour

work

shaboom

siren

blind

empty box (last song cause it talks about leaving memories, a better closer than siren)

i can also finally understand why the concept photos are so mid because, in a way, i think that they don't want to appropriate culture, especially since the latin pop, hip-hop, and reggae influence is so strong in the album. the art director seemed to not know how to market that aspect in a way and i just have one answer: style it like the work mv. make it a bit western-ish cause that's okay.

music-wise, i like that ateez is, in a way, approaching more of world music (if they are still called world music cause they are popular in western mainstream music) in the genre of latin pop and reggae. it makes them stand out and different. yet, i also now know that they have entered the voyage of catering to the western audience with the sounds that usually show up in the charts. is it a bad thing? no, definitely not. but coming from an asian background who enjoyed more of their subdue title tracks like answer and inception, i kind of feel left out. but, to me, that's very much okay cause ateez definitely deserves their success and i like me some diversification in the sound of the kpop industry. but i just wish that they realize that you don't have to seek western validation. it's okay to be kpop. it's okay to be the other when it is your own color.

final ranking:

6.golden hour 5/10 (it's an intro track)

5.empty box 5/10 (pretty repetitive so it's boring if you have it on repeat)

4.shaboom 6/10 (it's too confusing i swear to god)

3.blind 7/10 (good ass song)

2.siren 7/10

1.work 8/10 (it's so bouncy!)

overall release score: 7/10

small conclusion: now yall know how i feel with kpop idols towards the us now. yeah... i hate it. i hate that they have to validate the western style to break even and gain profit. i hate that it is usamerican charts. like i really wanna see an idol taking more of the british populer music, maybe that's the reason why newjeans is popular cause they utilize more of the pink pantheress, british/new england sound instead of the obvious hollywood sound...

[d-criss-news]

[UHQ] TheStandard_Vol11_Issue3 March, 2023 (PHOTO CREDITS: Amanda Demme: Blue NY Bomber Jacket, Bright patterned jacket / Lindsey Byrnes: Red back drop photos / Pierre Hennequin: B&W photo)

DAP Health’s 2023 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards | The Standard

The Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, DAP Health’s biggest annual fundraiser, also fondly known as The Chase returns to dazzle donors outdoors at the Palm Springs Convention Center on the evening of Saturday, March 25. Fashion, medicine, and music will take center stage at the starry annual benefit gala.

—

Up Close with Headliner Darren Criss

Darren Criss — the 36-year-old “Glee” alum who won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for playing gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” — may be making his professional desert debut when he headlines the 2023 The Chase for DAP Health, but he’s no stranger to the Coachella Valley. Since he reports he has a “significant amount of family in the Palm Desert,” he’s somewhat of a regular. “I’ve got all my favorite spots, let’s put it that way.” He even made it to fellow performer Harry Styles’ last North American “Love On Tour” stop (and impromptu birthday bash) on February 1 at the new Acrisure Arena.

I chatted with Criss over Zoom while he was in Los Angeles to talk about what we can expect at his show, his love of all things show biz, and his ties to queer audiences.

Tell me a bit about the show you’ll be presenting at The Chase.

When I have the opportunity to play events like this, which are very fun — I know The Chase is very big and I’m very thrilled to be there — I’m the court jester. I’m just making sure I’m servicing people having a good time. So, I tend to stray away from deep cuts [in favor of] any smattering of things that people would be familiar with from, Broadway or the stuff I did on “Glee” or just covers in general that are fun to play and that kind of seem appropriate for the vibe. I’m notorious about not coming up with a set list until a few days before. I’ll have a band [that night], so I have to be a little more fastidious with the organizing of that. The nice thing about being a musician is you’re your own accompanist. If this was just me, I wouldn’t have an answer for you. Maybe about an hour before I went on stage — ’cause I would go to the party, kind of get a vibe from people, have a couple drinks — I’d go, “OK, I think I get the playlist,” and then I’d just do it… I’d just show up and try to make people happy. You can quote me on that.

Acting, singing, or songwriting and producing — what would you say is your favorite?

That’s a great question, because usually the question is, “Which one do you consider yourself?” And my answer is, they’re all the same because they’re all connected. They’re all storytelling. It’s just different tailoring. Different dress codes. But it’s the same party, the same venue….

You know, I’ve been very lucky, where I’ve gotten to do everything. I will say the most fulfilling would probably have to be songwriting…. Songwriting and producing probably consume most of my soul.

Talking acting, is it film, TV, or theatre?

Nice work if you can get it. Listen, I’m a mercenary. I’ll be very happy to have the opportunity to work in any of those fields if they invite me to the party. Lucky me. And I’m always grateful and cherish every opportunity that comes my way. Obviously, I come from the theatre, so it kind of has my heart and soul because there is an immediacy to it. So, yeah, that might be the leading player on the field.

Between “Glee,” Ryan Murphy, and Broadway, you clearly have a lot of queer fans. Thoughts?

I think the simple answer is I’ve always felt so privileged to be included at what I deem to be the cool kids table. And that’s not me trying to be charming or sucking up to a certain demographic. I’ve spent a lifetime chasing my heroes, wanting to have the people I think are cool think I’m cool. And I’ve worked very hard for that. I’ve educated myself. I’ve tried to cultivate my life so that people I respect might go, “Hey, this kid ain’t so bad.” And a huge [number], if not the majority, of those people come from the queer community. I feel very privileged to have anybody’s attention, much less that of a community of people I think are rad. I’m just so pleased to have a seat of the table, and I hope that my conversation is interesting enough to hold their attention and to be worthy of their time.

As you know, The Chase is DAP Health’s largest annual benefit, and the organization began in 1984 as Desert AIDS Project. How have HIV and AIDS touched your life personally?

I was born in the eighties, raised in the nineties, in San Francisco. I’m from a very, very queer city during a very troubled time that didn’t see everybody survive. People’s uncles were dying. I was a little boy. You’d notice, and you’d go, “Wait, what’s going on?” But it’s something that didn’t really hit me until much later in life. When you’re old enough to understand and realize, “Holy shit, that was a pretty insane time.” I’m very lucky because I’m of a generation that got to benefit from the slow de-stigmatization and more healthy conversations around HIV and AIDS. The men and women in my circle who are living with it, when we talk about the sort of dark days of AIDS in the United States, they and I are just supremely aware of the people upon whose shoulders we get to live our day-to-day life. I consider myself very, very lucky.

Well said. Shifting gears to a lighter subject, The Chase can be quite the fashionista extravaganza. So, here’s the most important question: Have you picked out your outfit?

Oh, girl. Um, no. [Laughs] And I’m not proud about it. I gotta get on it. Thanks for reminding me. I gotta get a set list together and an outfit. It’s literally the two things that are required of me. And I don’t have either one right now.

PHOTO CREDITS: Amanda Demme: Blue NY Bomber Jacket, Bright patterned jacket / Lindsey Byrnes: Red back drop photos / Pierre Hennequin: B&W photo

[greywindys]

Coachella day 1 thoughts! As some of you may know, I had tickets for Coachella back in 2020 until was canceled due to covid-19. Since then, though no line up has inspired me and my concert bff to take the plunge to purchase tickets again, I still follow the festival and watch the live streams. Ngl, the line up this yeas was pretty underwhelming to me on first glance, but there have been some surprises so far.

The biggest surprise - Bizarrap! I feel so dumb because I've been watching his "Bzrp Music Sessions" for a while now, but I always assumed the youtube channel was just a record label or something, but no, he's a DJ/Producer who's done a lot of work in the Latin American music scene. His set was all energy and he mixed together a bunch of songs I love. I didn't go in with the intention to watch his entire set, but I did!

Ateez - I don't follow the KPop scene that much. Tbh, I mostly learn about new groups through the Coachella line up. But they were fun! As most KPop music goes, they performed a bunch of bops that I'm going to want to add to my workout playlist.

Yoasobi - I went into her set only knowing her one big hit, but she put on a great show!

Neil Frances - Had never heard his music prior to this. Loved his sound, a great spring vibe. I'm now a fan.

Clown Core - Okay, so I didn't leave a fan exactly lol, but I wanted to highlight them because this is what I watch the streams for - something completely out there that I'd never seek out on my own. I respect it.

Blog relevant - Dom Dolla (of New Gold fame) is there and is performing multiple times under different names. I didn't watch much of his set, but if you're a Gorillaz fan, it might be interesting. Oh, and Blur.

[bcofl0ve]

What is up with some of the newer Austin fans acting like he hated his life before Elvis came out or before he dated Kaia. Yes he’s really successful now, yes he’s probably more confident than ever, and yes he looks really happy and healthy but its these constant little diggs that make me go “???” Like for example you said BM is “waayyyy more his vibe” than Coachella like what?? all of the pictures & videos of him at chella you can see him enjoying himself. There are many more examples of the little diggs im referring to but I’ll leave it at this for now. I just wonder why some of y’all do that

i didn’t say coachella made him miserable though. there is photographic proof he had a good time there! photos of him dancing! me saying i think he’d like burning man *more* based on the general vibes of the (very) different festivals is. not supposed to be some sort of deep read on his coachella days. sorry if it came off that way!

also fwiw, austin himself has said he was in a spiral of sadness after filming OUATIH waiting for more work and that he considered quitting acting. elvis, objectively, is what got him out of that i do believe. and that’s not me saying he hated every single aspect of his life before. but. i don’t think it’s a stretch to say he’s happier now either.

[cantquitu]

Louis is doing his festival again today. Its in Italy. Do you think Harry will ever do festivals?

Harry already has - he headlined Coachella. I've no doubt he'll do another big festival like Glasto, it's just a matter of timing.

Louis' show is only a festival by name, really, so that's a different thing. It's an outdoor Louis Tomlinson headline show with a bunch of supports. Harry's show at Slane was the same thing on a larger scale. He had Mitch Rowland, Annie Mac, Wet Leg and Inhaler playing, but it was a Harry show. It totally had a festival vibe though. I suppose you can call anything a festival.

[saintlaurentproblems]

deuxmoi posted her podcast with Spencer Pratt talking about Shawn Mendes being overheard at a restaurant saying that Camila has low vibes and dark energy and he’s unsure of where it’s gonna go and he feels more comfortable with Sabrina. This after he was spotted with camila at Coachella (also after she was spotted at his house for a dinner date and he was seen buying her flowers). After the podcast camila went and deleted her little Coachella song she made for him on her Instagram. 👀

Imma laugh if they end up showing up together on Monday at the met gala and deuxmoi is wrong but tana mongeau was guest on a different podcast talking about seeing shawn with camila at Coachella because apparently shawn and Jeff are friends and they were hanging out in the Influencer area and said she was surprised about the shawn/camila situation because a few weeks before that she had literally seen Shawn with Sabrina at a friends birthday party and they seemed like a couple ��LMAO.

I will ride for Sabrina and Shawn! Camila just bring him down!!!!!

[alltheselights]

I do feel like this era is all over the place lmao like the fashion is all over the place, the two music videos so far have been very different vibes, the cover is very soft indie and the music is very much not that, better homes and gardens as his only mag cover but then going on stern?

Yeah, I guess the inconsistency is what bothers me. Like I almost feel like there are two versions of this album and its promo, if that makes sense, and most things he’s done or worn fits in only one of the two categories.

Homey Vibes:

Album name

Album cover and photos

About half of the songs

Some of his promo outfits (e.g. the Spotify outfit)

Some of his tour outfits (e.g. overalls, t-shirts)

Better Homes & Gardens promo

Late Night Talking music video

Circus/Flashy Vibes:

About half of the songs

Some of his promo outfits (e.g. the Today Show outfit)

Some of his tour outfits (e.g. the colors, the cowboy style outfits)

As It Was music video

Unreleased music video

A lot of his promo methods (e.g. Apple commercial, Coachella)

It’s not that I dislike the circus vibes or the flashy colors or whatever, but I guess I wish that he’d just stuck to the homey stuff for this particular era. Particularly because of how it was talked about initially and how it related to the pandemic. I think it would’ve been so lovely to actually have a soft, gentle era for Harry and then for the next era, he could go right back into the flashy, over-the-top, circus stuff. It does feel a bit all over the place and like I’m getting whiplash.

[jentlemahae]

brands saw what bp have done as ambassadors and want to cash in on that with rookies but it’s too early for that. by the time the pinks signed fashion deals they had comfortably solidified their place at the forefront of kpop. they were used as style inspo and everything they wore sold out immediately. bp became global ambassadors 3-4 years into their career, and before they even signed they worked with others to see which brand fit best: lisa-prada, jisoo-burberry, rose-valentino (ysl and valentino literally fought over rose, she’s so iconic for that)

not only that, the pinks were “promoted” after working with their brand for a while and after proving they had significant impact for the brand. eg jennie was korean ambassador for chanel in 2017 and was “promoted” to global in 2019

you and anons are right, the problem with rookies is they haven’t been around long enough to have established themselves like that yet. there’s not really a standout 4th gen gg bc there’s no loyalty. fans switch once a new group debuts. this is a problem for ambassadorships bc there’s the question of longevity. yeah that idol is big now but will they still be in 3 years?

an example of this is a*spa. within months of debut they signed with givenchy, with a global title rather than korean first. at the time they were set to be the 4th gen gg, but i’m not sure if that’s the case anymore. they’re still successful but idk if they have the impact givenchy expected. was the “global” title jumping the gun before they’d earned it? (this is not shade at them btw, i love them dearly)

idt having a whole group as ambassadors for one brand works either. imo i think that’s why *** and LV fell through. they all have different styles so putting them all in the same brand was a weird choice. partnerships are better with individuals bc it has to reflect their personal style or image. this is why bp works (as pointed out by prev anon). this is also why kai and gucci works. it fits his style and he’s proven his longevity in k-pop. then he did well with them, so they promoted him, gave him a collab and he’s in global campaigns. w*nyoung and miu miu works too, it fits her vibe, i hope they do great things together

although bp weren’t the first to officially work with luxury brands, they’re the first to have each member be a global ambassadorship for a different brand. it seems n*wjns are next. but like you said, they’re too young to have any individuality yet. and as a group they have a very specific aesthetic and styling which i’m not sure fits the brands? it just seems brands are trying to snatch them up before anyone else does and that doesn’t bode well for a long term partnership

this is all very well put and i agree with everything !! bp’s massive hold onto the fashion world managed to exist in the first place cs their break into such industry was slow and gradual. nowadays groups jump the gun on so many things and “achievements”, and i think that’s actually detrimental to those groups bcs even though it’s nice now, i think it hinders their longevity and shelf-life. so many groups crash and burn imo bcs companies don’t give them the chances to find their own identity as a group first. honestly this is one of the only things i think yg did well with bp - their whole rise felt very genuine imo, they were allowed to be rookies first and a big name later. i think trying to position a group already as superstars when they’re still rookies is not a good idea (i remember i said this exact thing when a/spa went to coachella last year bcs besides the fact that i dont think they are coachella artists in the first place, it was too soon to have such big promo in the us)

[taylorswiftstylequestions]

Hey! I read about the lover fest being like Coachella a few times. What does that mean? Not just Taylor but many artists? Or how would you have imagined the tour?

Hi! We don't know what Lover Fest would have been because we didn't get much information about it.

The ongoing assumption is the way it was advertised given that it wasn't really a "tour" in the traditional sense with dozens of dates across the country/world and instead a limited-run of shows (only 4) gave the impression/mood that Taylor was the 'headlining act' so to speak of her own 'festival' with 'guests' who I guess would be rotating opening acts for the weekend.

We have no idea who the friends were going to be (throw a dart at a wall of musicians we know Taylor is friendly/friends with as a best guess) but just because of the limited dates/cities and assumption of many different acts present gives 'festival' vibes akin to Coachella et al.

[glenrocklibraryteens]

Album Review: Harry’s House by Harry Styles

Former member of One Direction, Harry Styles released his third solo album in late May of 2022. The album debuted 13 songs with a brand new vibe that differed from his past two albums. I knew that he was about to bring something new to the table as soon as I pressed play on Music For a Sushi Restaurant as I was getting ready for school on that May morning. Despite the internet’s division on the matter, I thought the album was a fresh and new experimental movement in his career. Being one of my comfort albums, I find it hard to choose songs to examine on this no-skip tracklist. As of this month, I have especially loved Satellite and Boyfriends.

The song Satellite references an actual satellite orbiting the Earth. The song is about a relationship between two people that can never seem to patch their relationship up. The notion of “spinning out” in the song shows the desperation and confusion of the disconnect in the relationship, which makes the song out to be a lot sadder than its upbeat tempo and heavy beat. During Love on Tour, Harry Styles would dance during the drum solo of the song, which started a trend of recreating it on Tiktok and other social media platforms. Because Harry would pair his iconic concert outfits with Adidas every show, Adidas trademarked their Gazelles as “Satellite Stompers” after the song and his performance during it.

Debuted in Coachella 2022, Boyfriends is a song that shows Harry’s real talents as he uses a simple acoustic guitar and his layered voice. The song touches upon mistreatment in relationships and how boyfriends often cause a troubled relationship for an array of reasons. Harry addresses that even he himself should be held accountable for the mistakes in his past relationships and the song is a dig at his own behavior. Boyfriends is a song that touches everyone in one way or another, whether you are the fool that harms the relationship or the fool that stays in the relationship. Love is an autonomous experience to whoever feels or gives it, yet this song brought that unsuspecting crowd at Coachella to tears.

[ourpickwickclub]

The LA Times article with Tony confirms his wife and parents were there. Also says they had some band dinners leading up to Coachella and vibes were good. I think you could see that in the performance. Not saying everything has been resolved but I’m glad there seems to be at least some healing and they can all be on better terms. No matter what happens in the future for them as a band, that’s a good thing for everyone imo.

It still felt strained to me, but if a different way. Like the band was still adjusting to new, confident with who she truly is, Gwen. But I was probably looking for that.

- B

[jeffchats]

The clips that I saw had him giving her credit for the barbershop codes after she won 🙄 saying it was her idea to have the H3 guys on and she would be watching, talked about meeting up with her in Dubai, Ethan asked if love is in the air and Jeff said love is a strong word, said hopefully one day. One of the guys asked if he’s a taken man and he said yes but I didn’t hear him say they’re official. He seems hesitant which wasn’t his vibe in the YouTube chat next week. He just didn’t seem that excited when he was talking about her. He said they’ve been talking everyday but the time difference is hard. He woke up at 430 today for a run but she was going to sleep so they missed each other there. Said it’s set up to fail. Mentioned Dubai a bunch but I didn’t see him say he’s excited to see her there, just that they’d be meeting up again since Australia’s close so they’re meeting in the middle. He’s going to do an IRL YouTube stream from Coachella. What else did I miss for those that watched?

If he’s not excited, why force it? It’s only been two weeks and their spark fizzled out?

[mostly-potato]

Electricity: Six Quick Memories of the Avalanches

(1) I am literally a small child, visiting my super cool auntie in Long Beach. We go to the record store Fingerprints to buy a special sheet of stickers. My favorite one is a photo of a turtle with an old man’s face on it. Yen loves this band and promises to burn me a CD. 

(2) Anthony and I are on the phone talking about his first few weeks at college. He met a guy, Jake the DJ, and they bonded over the album Since I Left You. Instead of being excited that our shared world is expanding and I already have things in common with his new friends, I feel sour and petty. He’s taking my gift to him and sharing it with someone else. I feel so left behind at home. 

(3) Halloween 2011 at UCSC! I’ve just broken up with my ex-boyfriend again. I’m wearing my most creative costume to date (Bumble, the Abominable Snowmonster of the North). My new friend Eliza and I are running around the dorms. We’re looking for drinks and neat places to hang. We walk into the room of a guy dressed as an eerily accurate version of Heath Ledger’s Joker. He’s got weird vibes, but I look past it. He’s playing “Since I Left You.” It’s going to be okay. 

(4) I’ve got a huge grin on my face as Lola opens her Christmas present. Two tickets and a camping pass for Coachella! I know I swore it off forever, but the Avalanches are on the lineup and I just think it’d be so special if we--wait, what’s wrong? Oh, you just booked a trip to Ireland with Elaine during that weekend. Huh, okay. I hope you have fun. No, it’s all good. I’m sure I can sell these. 

(5) Elvid and I are at the Fonda in Hollywood. This it is not-at-all a consolation prize for my failed desert surprise. Everything about this evening has been juuust okay (traffic on the drive, dinner at Roscoe’s, people squawking next to us) but all that meh melts away when I hear those soft wailing sounds. It’s “Electricity” and it’s all for me.

(6) The audio is wrong. Sleepy Man doesn’t believe me, but I insist his iPod’s version of “Frontier Psychiatrist” is wrong. The radio announcer’s voice is too loud, not crunchy enough. He says it’s fine, slightly annoyed that I dare to question his knowledge of musica obscura. I can’t stop. It’s not about being right. It’s about truth. It’s about having a grip on reality and control over your perceptions. Do I need therapy? Psychosomatic? He looks it up and sheepishly concedes “Yeah, this is a different version.”

[getawayheaven]

Even with Hoplessly devoted to lou, I will survive at Coachella, sing walls if larry is real pointing, larry is dead to you?

You are asking difficult questions here. Lol. The thing is that i find much more comfort in supporting Louis in his solo career rather than supporting him for his relationship. And that's exactly what he wants. He doesn't want anyone to recognise him for his sexuality or his relationship. Those topics irritate him. He just wants people to recognise him for his music. And i don't think 80% of the his fanbase supporting him for his relationship gives him any happiness. And that's why he's been trying to build he solo fanbase.

Regarding these things, what songs they sing on stage just doesn't matter to me. Their song choices are based on hundred different factors that fully involve their team too. What vibe they wanna go for, what will be the setlist, how they wanna surprise the fans, what different element they can put in the setlist etc. Louis pointing at sing walls?? I'm highly suspicious about that video. 👀